Pseudochazara williamsi

Pseudochazara williamsi (Romei, 1927), the nevada grayling, is a species of butterfly in the family Nymphalidae. It is confined to the southern Spain (endemic).

Nevada grayling
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Lepidoptera
Family: Nymphalidae
Genus: Pseudochazara
Species:
P. williamsi
Binomial name
Pseudochazara williamsi
Romei, 1927
Synonyms
  • Pseudochazara hippolyte williamsi (Romei, 1927)

Flight period

The species is univoltine and is on wing from mid-June to early August.

Food plants

Larvae feed on grasses.

Taxonomy

Four taxa of Pseudochazara williamsi (endemism from SE. Iberian Peninsula, Spain) were described as subspecies of Pseudochazara hippolyte (Esper, 1784) (an Asian taxon). Some authors consider them only as ecotypes (ecological forms, local forms), see Gil-T. (2017): isolated populations adapted to a particular set of environmental conditions. In Pseudochazara the drawings of underside of the hind wings is very variable, result of an important phenotypic plasticity, due to its ability to change the phenotype in order to obtain a certain degree of mimetism required for camouflage with the terrain of its environment to mimic the environment where it lives. These ecological forms have no taxonomic rank in modern biological classification, therefore without taxonomical or nomenclatural significance, since there is no solid foundations to justify their subspecific validity. Note: the old names of the taxa described, of very questionable validity, are indicated in brackets. The updated distribution and a morphological study (taxonomy) of P. williamsi can be seen in Gil-T. (2016, 2017).

SubspeciesDistribution
Ecological form 1 (= "williamsi") Sierra Nevada: S. Granada and S. Almería provinces; Sierra de Baza: E. Granada province; Sierra de los Filabres: W. Almería provinces. S. Spain.
Ecological form 2 (= "aislada") Sierra de María and Sierra de Orce: NE. Almeria province, SE. Spain.
Ecologicall form 3 (= "augustini") Sierra de Gádor: S. Almeria province, S. Spain.
Ecological form 4 (= "reverchoni") Sierra de Guillimona and Sierra Seca: NE. Granada province; Revolcadores: W. Murcia province. SE. Spain.

References
  1. van Swaay, C.; Wynhoff, I.; Wiemers, M.; Katbeh-Bader, A.; Power, A.; Benyamini, D.; Tzirkalli, E.; Balletto, E.; Monteiro, E.; Karaçetin, E.; Franeta, F.; Pe'er, G.; Welch, H.; Thompson, K.; Pamperis, L.; Dapporto, L.; Šašić, M.; López Munguira, M.; Micevski, N.; Dupont, P.; Garcia-Pereira, P.; Moulai, R.; Caruana, R.; Verovnik, R.; Bonelli, S.; Beshkov, S. (2015). "Pseudochazara williamsi". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2015: e.T62148586A62153134. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2015-2.RLTS.T62148586A62153134.en.
  • Gil-T., F. (2016): Pseudochazara williamsi (Romei, 1927): updated distribution, corrected and extended with new localities (Lepidoptera, Nymphalidae, Satyrinae). [ISSN 2172-2595 | Rev. gad. Entomol. vol. 7 (1): 429-439]. (Full article from researchgate.net. Text in Spanish with abstract in English):
  • Gil-T., F. (2017): Compared morphology and distribution of the taxa described of Pseudochazara williamsi (Romei, 1927) [= "Pseudochazara hippolyte" Esper from Spain]. Are they valid subspecies or only the result of phenotypic plasticity (ecological forms)? (Lepidoptera, Nymphalidae, Satyrinae). |ISSN 0171-0079| Atalanta vol. 48 (1-4): 188-196. (From researchgate.net. Text in English):
  • Pseudochazara de Lesse, 1951 (genus). In: Markku Savela's "Lepidoptera and Some Other Life Forms":
  • Pseudochazara williamsi. In: "Satyrinae of the Western Palearctic":
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